Following weeks of public hearings and debate, President Bush in December announced a plan designed to rescue the Detroit automakers.

But will the bailout help in the long-term, and will it address the issues that created the crisis in the first place?

A blue-ribbon panel of experts hosted by the Mackinac Center addressed these questions, as well as regulatory reform, labor policy and the mechanics of restructuring, on Jan. 13 at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. This photo essay captures images from the event, which was simulcast on the Web (a video will be posted soon).